Find out how popular the last name Smiley is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Smiley.

Smiley, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Smiley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Smiley in America

Smiley is the 1812th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Smiley surname appeared 19,829 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 7 people would have the surname Smiley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Smiley to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Smiley

The surname Smiley is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "smil," meaning "a smile." It likely arose as a nickname in the Middle Ages, given to someone with a cheerful or smiley disposition.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Smiley dates back to the 13th century in Yorkshire, England. It was spelled in various ways, including Smyly, Smiley, and Smilie, reflecting the differing regional dialects and spelling conventions of the time.

One notable historical reference to the name Smiley appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire from 1297, where a John Smyly is listed among the taxpayers. This record provides evidence of the name's use and spelling variation in medieval England.

In the 16th century, the surname gained prominence with the life of Sir John Smiley (c. 1545-1612), a Scottish nobleman and Lord Provost of Edinburgh. His descendants continued to play influential roles in Scottish society for generations.

Another notable figure was Thomas Smiley (1638-1700), an English Quaker minister and writer who traveled extensively throughout the American colonies, spreading the Quaker faith and publishing numerous religious works.

The surname also found its way to Ireland, where it is believed to have been introduced by Scottish settlers. One prominent Irish bearer was Samuel Smiley (1784-1857), a successful linen merchant and philanthropist from County Antrim.

In the United States, the name Smiley gained recognition through figures like Sarah Smiley (1792-1875), a renowned Quaker minister from Rhode Island who traveled extensively, preaching and advocating for social causes.

Another notable American was Alfred Smiley (1828-1903), a businessman and philanthropist from New York who founded the Mohonk Mountain House, a famous resort in the Catskill Mountains.

Throughout its history, the surname Smiley has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, spanning different countries and time periods. Its enduring presence reflects the lasting impact of this cheerful moniker and the diverse stories of those who have borne it.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Smiley

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Smiley.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Smiley was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Smiley has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Smiley was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Smiley, please contact us.

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